U.S. Pat. No. 25,230,009 for a PILL COUNTING DEVICE issued to M. R. Fields Nov. 14, 1950 teaches a tray coupled over an upward incline to a funnel-ended graduated pill receiver on a first tray side and an upwardly-inclining and rearward protruding return funnel at a second side corner. Fields' pill receiver has a pivotable cover which has a closure edge that is received on a flat surface of the incline between the tray and the pill receiver. The tray rests on the bottom of the pill receiver and two peg legs distal the pill receiver. The pill receiver is graduated according to pill bottle sizes, so that the pharmacist may easily determine the correct size of bottle for the number of pills prescribed. Fields teaches downward flanges underneath the tray between the legs and between the legs and the pill receiver. The rear of the pill receiver is flush with the rear edge, but the return funnel protrudes rearward. In operation, a supply of pills is poured onto the tray and the pharmacist counts the pills as they are moved via a spatula into the pill receiver. Excess pills are moved back into the supply container via the return funnel. The counted pills are funneled into a pill bottle via the funneled pill receiver. Field's device is widely used in the industry. Fields' device has, as with many other designs, a flat area on the ridge between the tray and the pill receiver where pill dust can accumulate and contaminate subsequently dispensed prescriptions. Fields' device has, as with many other designs, an upwardly inclined return funnel, which requires that the user tilt the try at a higher angle than, for example, a tray with a level return funnel. In order to tilt Fields' tray, the entire tray must be grasped.
A printable opaque tray offered for sale on Alibaba.com features a curved front corner for the tray and receives printing on the opaque tray. Top surface printing is well known but, as the printing wears off, it can contaminate a prescription.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,064 discloses a pill tray without a cover to the pill receiver and without a ridge between the tray and the pill receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,426 discloses a pill receiver with funnels at both ends and a device for closing off one of the funnels, depending on whether the user is right-handed or left-handed. The tray has a flay center and sloping tray portions to the sides, which include walls. There are two return funnels distal the pill receiver. Pill counting trays with return funnels at both corners distal the pill receiver are offered for sale by ArtPromos.com, as is printing advertisement on the top surface of the opaque tray. Top surface printing is well known but, as the printing wears off, it can contaminate a prescription. The advertised device also features a transparent cover for the pill receiver.
A Grafco pill counter, offered for sale on Amazon.com is similar to the Fields design, but features a transparent tray.
A pill tray offered for sale by Quality Logo Products has a clear region in the center of the tray for receiving logo imprints.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a pill tray with handles for easier pouring of pills through the pill receiver funnel and the return funnel. In addition, it is desirable to provide a pill tray with a downwardly directed return funnel with a ridge across the access to the return funnel to prevent inadvertent pill migration. In addition, it is desirable to provide a pill tray with no flat surface on the ridge between the tray and the pill receiver to avoid dust accumulation. In addition, it is desirable to provide a pill tray that has advertising that is not applied to the pill-sorting surface of the tray. In addition, it is desirable to provide a pill tray that has advertising that can be changed during the life of the device. In addition, it is desirable to provide a pill tray that can be pushed flush against the wall or backsplash behind a counter upon which the pill tray rests, in order to save counter space. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.